The invention relates to a boat trailer roller mount, and, more particularly, to an adjustable roller mount for use on a boat trailer which adapts to the configuration of a boat being loaded onto or unloaded from a boat trailer.
A traditional boat trailer for transporting boats typically has roller assemblies on which the boat hull is rolled as it is loaded onto or unloaded from the boat trailer. Boat hulls have a triple compound curvature, so as a result, the roller assemblies must be adaptable to the changing curvature as the boat is moved along the roller assemblies.
Such roller mounts typically include multiple pairs of rollers on mounting arms which pivot about a centrally disposed axis. As the boat is loaded onto or unloaded from a trailer which uses conventional roller assemblies, the roller assemblies cross the strakes on the hull, and the compound curvature of the boat hull forces some of the rollers to pivot out of contact with the hull. As a result, all of the weight is applied to the remaining rollers, and the boat assumes a higher position on the trailer, becoming more unwieldy and less stable. A further problem caused by conventional roller mounts is that when the rollers cross the strakes on the boat hull, further instability and difficulty in loading or unloading the boat are created. One method of dealing with these problems is to supply the trailer with large numbers of rollers. Unfortunately, the cost and difficulty of assembly increases in relation to the number of rollers required.
Numerous complex pivot mechanisms have been tried to overcome these problems with a resulting increase in cost but with little success. There remains a need for a simple and inexpensive roller mount which can successfully adapt to the compound curvature of a boat hull.